Desired by Shadow (A Shadow Walkers Novel) (32 page)

Draken chuffed. “Most generous. Shall I fly you there now?”

Angus had been silent all this time, looking as if he wasn’t sure what was real and what might be hallucination. “I’ve always wanted to fly.”

Maggie smiled. “Then it’s settled. You’ll fly home with us.” As the old seaman’s mouth fell open, her smile faltered. “I shouldn’t have assumed. You probably have a place you love. Why would you want to live with us and all the chaos that’s about to descend on Gwrych? I’m sorry, Angus.”

The man took two steps and with a look at Robert to make sure it was okay, hugged her tight. “Lassie, ‘tis the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me. I’d love to live at Gwrych. Think ye mayhap I could help teach the little ones? I’ve a great love for history.”

She had tears in her eyes. “I’d like that very much.”

Robert clapped his hands together. “It’s settled then. Draken and Angus are come to live at Gwrych. Angus you’ll fly back with him, and Maggie and I will drive. I need to make a few calls for my crew to come and collect everything. We’re going to need tractor trailers for all this.” He rubbed his hands together, understanding a dragon’s fascination with treasure.

“I’ve given up wondering how much treasure one man needs. Anyway, a school is expensive and I’m sure it’s going to cost a boatload to feed Draken. So enjoy your treasure, I won’t say another word…as long as I get all the books, that is.” Winding his hair around her fingers, she kissed him on the cheek, her hand stroking his neck.

Robert helped Angus onto Draken’s back. “By the way, do you like to eat goblins?”

Gold eyes turned to regard him. “They taste terrible, but I rather enjoy burning them to ash. Why?”

The beast didn’t hear everything. “The goblins have aligned themselves with the Day Walkers, causing havoc in the human world.” The dragon nodded and with a great whoosh took off towards the black ceiling. Angus whooping until his voice was lost.

Whipping out his mobile, Robert called his right hand man, Baylor. Appraising him of the situation, he chuckled at the man’s reaction. They could all retire rich men if they chose after this. Hanging up, he looked over at Maggie. The warm light turned her into a goddess. She had suffered, been betrayed and abused and she was still a kind, giving person. As good as she was, he didn’t deserve her, not in a million years. Could he be the man she needed?

“I thought my life couldn’t get any stranger but I was so wrong.” Maggie kissed him. They sank to the floor on an undoubtedly priceless rug and he peeled her clothes off. After all, he had a few hours to kill before his crew arrived to transport the booty. Couldn’t leave it unprotected, could he? What better way to while away the time than by making love to his woman.

Maggie dozed in his arms, her glorious hair fanned out across his chest. Would he ever tire of looking at her? His life was turning upside down and he…liked it. She stirred, her breath soft against his skin.

“Did I fall asleep? Has the treasure express arrived yet?” She yawned and curled into his side, sleepy eyes looking up at him. His heart clenched. So this is what it was all about. The moment stretched until he thought he could live suspended like this and be content.

“You were kind to take Angus in.”

He waved the comment away. “It was the right thing to do. I failed his ancestor. I won’t make the same mistake with him. Now he can live out his life at Gwrych, never worrying. See he hasn’t any family left.”

“You’ve become quite the king of lost humans. I like this side of you. Very much.”

She was pleased with him. Could hear it in her voice. Now he had the treasure and her. Once he took care of the little curse problem, his life would be perfect.

“Something’s been bothering me. Before…I saw others like you disappear, manifest weapons, take people away, all kinds of things. And you guys are basically invincible. So why didn’t you use your powers today? Is there anything you’re not telling me?”

The question was like a bucket of cold water to his face. He wouldn’t scare her. Not now. Not after she slept through the night without starting at every creak. She was like a mistreated animal that was always on guard, never feeling safe or trusting enough to sleep, always vigilant, an ear alert to any sign of danger. Finally she was learning to trust again, he wouldn’t take it from her and replace it with worry. The curse wouldn’t control either of him. The hell if he knew how, but somehow he’d make sure of it.

So he did what he thought was right. “No. Everything is fine. I haven’t recharged my powers and didn’t want to deplete them, that’s all.” After giving him a long look, she shrugged and kissed his shoulder. His mobile rang. “We’re here. I’ll tell you how to get in. Did you set up the road closed signs to keep prying eyes away?” Blood singing, he finished telling them how to find him. All of it would be his. Well most of it. A generous portion going to his crew, Angus and Maggie. And the Grail. It was here in the treasure. Once it was safe at Gwrych, he’d have plenty of time to listen, and find it, hidden beneath the mounds of loot. Dressing they went to meet the motley assortment of men unaware a traitor lurked within.

With the treasure safely transported to Gwrych, Robert checked in on Angus who was happily settling into the North wing. He’d taken one of the rooms as his own, waving them in. “You’re back. To fly is a wondrous thing. Draken stopped at me flat and I packed up everything I wanted. Once we got here, he decided he preferred the East wing, something about the light so I came here to the North. This bloody castle is huge.”

Maggie and Robert laughed. “There’s plenty of unused furniture around, take whatever you want. I’m going to check on the unloading of the treasure and give the men their shares.” Angus happily waved him away. Turning on his heel, Robert kissed her. “Will you be alright for an hour or so?”

Her cheeks flushed from the kiss, she gently pushed him out the door. “Go. Angus and I have much to discuss for setting up our school. Then I want to check on Draken, make sure he’s settled in, and I promised I’d read to him after dinner. I was telling him about
Gone with the Wind
. He thinks it sounds wonderful.”

Rolling his eyes, he called out over his shoulder. “Any excuse for starting it over, I’d expect. You know, I thought I was the lord here. I’d better not come in second place to a bloody dragon.”

Laughing, Maggie turned to Angus. They spent the next several hours discussing how to set up the school, coming up with a plan. He had great ideas and was excited as she to help those who’d been forgotten. Leaving Angus to the plans, she hugged him as she left. “I want to go see how Draken is doing.”

“I won’t be surprised if all sorts of animals and creatures start turning up here, looking for sanctuary. Seems if people need help, critters will too.”

“Guess it’s good I’m rich now and the castle is gigantic, we’ve plenty of room to take in all who seek shelter.” Wandering down the hallway, lost in thought, Maggie came to the East wing, the salty ocean tang permeated the air, the dragon’s unique scent, and called out. “Draken? It’s Maggie.”

She heard his welcoming chuff and saw gold eyes in the dim light at the end of the hallway. “Do you like your new home?” The dragon’s claws clicked on the stone floor as he came towards Maggie. Lowering his head to look her in the eye, he smiled. Well, it looked like a smile to her.

“I can smell the ocean again and there are people around. I feel their heartbeats as they come and go.” He bobbed his head, horns dipping. “This is a good place. I shall be happy here. Though I must knock down a few walls and doors to make it easier to move around.”

Biting her lip, she hoped she wasn’t saying something she shouldn’t. “Go ahead and make it to your liking, Robert won’t mind a bit.”

Draken motioned her through a wide archway. The room was bare but what caught her eye was the large bank of windows. Rushing to the stone window seat, she clambered up and peered out. “You can see everything. The water looks like molten silver.”

Iridescent scales caught the weak winter sun as Draken stood beside her. Eyes closed, he breathed in deeply. “Yes, I will be happy here.” Fixing a gold eye on her, he cocked his head. “Maggie. You seem happy with the Shadow Walker. Have you already broken the curse? I’ve heard said their curses are near impossible to break.”

The air whooshed out of her lungs, stomach falling like that first hill on a rollercoaster, and her legs tingled. It was almost dinnertime; maybe it was low blood sugar or some kind of virus? He had to be mistaken. Robert would have told her, he promised no secrets.

“Are you unwell? Have I caused you offense?” Draken was so close she could see the flecks of amber, honey and sunlight in his eyes.

“Robert never told me about any curse. There must be a mistake.”

The gold eyes squinted, taking her in, measuring. “On one of my flights to find food, I encountered a Shadow Walker whose name was Kendrick. He kept me company outside of Chillingham Castle in England while I finished my meal. He kept very tasty sheep there.” Maggie was looking at him, an anguished cry escaped and she clapped her hand to her mouth. Draken’s tail curled around her the spikes retracted, holding her next to him. “Kendrick told me the story of Colin and Emily and entrusted me with the curse all Shadow Walkers live with. I would never have mentioned it except you both seemed happy together so I wrongly assumed you’d broken it. Forgive me for upsetting you.”

Tears leaked out of her eyes. Please not him too. I can’t take one more betrayal. Her stomach hollow and heart beating erratically in her chest, Maggie rested her check on Draken’s side. His scales were warm like smooth pebbled rocks kissed by sunlight. Her voice came out thin, reedy. “Would you tell me what the curse is? I don’t know.”

The massive beast hesitated, seeming to weigh his words before he answered. “Beautiful girl, you should really talk to Robert about this…’tis evident I’m out of practice in the art of conversation. I’ve botched this terribly.” He snorted and a small plume of flame shot out. “Alright. Kendrick told me as part of accepting the bargain to become a Shadow Walker, they all bear a curse. Every year on the date of their human death, they relive the end and are subsequently without any of their powers. Usually for just a night and day but—oh, seven hells, if they meet the one and only, their true love, during the anniversary, they are powerless for a week.”

Maggie gasped, her entire body trembling. Draken enfolded her in his wings, the warmth keeping her teeth from chattering. “Kendrick said during the week if the curse isn’t broken then the Shadow Walker’s soul is lost. Trapped forever in-between. Not living or dying but turned into a wraith. They also become wraith if a Day Walker takes all of their life-essence, draining them dry.”

Draken shuddered. “The in-between is a terrible place. Dragons know of it. It is a realm of eternal suffering. Gray, soundless, empty. Though I’ve heard tales of terrible creatures who haunt it.” Maggie was wiping the tears away with the palms of her hands but they kept coming as if she’d turned on a faucet and couldn’t turn it back off. Draken’s body vibrated and a purring sound emanated as if he was trying to calm her. She patted his side, stroking the inside of his wing. It was soft, like the finest suede.

“Tell me the rest.” He fanned his wings slightly, sending heated air across her body. It didn’t matter, she didn’t think she’d ever be warm again.

“Pretty Maggie. You earned the right to know when you aided Robert in some way. What happened?”

Her shoulders tensed, remembering. “Yes, I saved him from being hanged at Edinburgh Castle. Course then I ran away when I saw it was him. Maybe I should have kept running.”

The scales shimmered as he shook his great body. “No, Maggie. It was too late. If the curse isn’t broken, not just Robert will suffer. You will be doomed. You will live the rest of your life alone, dying without anyone beside you, never finding true love. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you.”

“Why would he lie to me after he said he’d told me everything? Promised me we’d have no secrets from each other. I trusted him.” The tears were falling freely now. Hitting the stones with a tinkling sound like water on fine crystal.

“Shall I go and eat him?”

She started. Draken looked serious. “No, don’t.” Anger flared, covering the pain and hurt and she stoked it high. Would need it to confront him. “If you eat him, I won’t have the satisfaction of seeing his face when I out him for lying. I’ll never let anyone hurt me again. So if the curse is loneliness, well then bring it on, I’m rather friendly with the emotion by now.”

“Maggie, loneliness is a terrible thing. Do you know how long I’ve ached to find one more of my kind? To know if there are any left or if I am the last of all dragonkind? I wouldn’t wish desolation on anyone, child.” Draken let her go and chuffed. Maggie looked down at the floor. There in a pile on the stones were clear bits of glass.

“Diamonds? What on earth are those doing here?” She hadn’t seen them before.

The massive beast chuffed again. “A side effect of being around a dragon. If you cry in a dragon’s embrace, your tears turn to diamonds. Gather them up and cast them into the sea and your heartache will go with them.” He gazed at her with wise, kind eyes.